An agreement has been reached between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) allowing UK passport holders to use eGates at most airports in Europe, a measure meant to significantly ease travelling from across the Channel.
Since Brexit, UK citizens lost their privileged status when travelling to the EU. What were once cursory ID checks, often carried out by bored-looking border officials, have become full-blown border checks with passport stamps, increased scrutiny, stress… and often endless queues. The latter have become even worse and more burdensome with the global surge in air travel. Delays of up to an hour are now common at major airports, causing passengers to miss their flights.
“Travel is about to get somewhat smoother for UK citizens. Under the new agreement, they will once again be able to use eGates at many European airports, a facility typically reserved for EU, EEA and select third-country nationals.
Instead of waiting in long queues at passport control, Brits travelling to Europe will now be able to use e-Gates.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 19, 2025
So you can start your holiday sooner. pic.twitter.com/O7JuXbqdfP
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK’s shadow minister for EU relations, welcomed the announcement, presenting it as a way of giving British travellers ‘more time to spend on holiday or work trips […] doing what you want, not being stuck in queues.’
Some EU countries, such as Portugal and Spain, where British travellers make up around 40% of international arrivals, have never stopped allowing UK passport holders to use their eGates.
The announcement came on Monday from UK officials, who confirmed that ‘British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control. Pets will also be able to travel more easily.’
However, as the Financial Times notes, the move has been in the pipeline for some time and would probably have happened regardless of Monday’s deal. Indeed, it dovetails with wider EU border reform.
Historic day.
— Nick Thomas-Symonds (@NickTorfaen) May 19, 2025
After months of negotiations, I can announce that the Labour Government has secured a new agreement with the EU.
🇬🇧Good for jobs
🇬🇧Good for bills
🇬🇧Good for borders
And more…
Britain back on the world stage, with a Government in the service of working people.
From October, the EU is expected to roll out a new Entry/Exit System (EES) that will replace manual passport stamps with biometric registration. Travellers’ fingerprints and a facial image will be stored in a database for up to three years. Once the system is in place, EU member states will be allowed to allow third-country nationals – such as British citizens – to use eGates if they wish. An exact implementation date has yet to be confirmed, but UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ‘has called on all EU countries to cooperate’, according to the BBC.
The agreement also introduces a new pet travel arrangement. A simplified pet passport system will remove the need for a separate animal health certificate for each trip, making it easier to travel with cats and dogs from the UK to the EU.
However, existing rules will remain in place for EU citizens travelling to the UK.
Overwhelming support from a range of businesses from supermarkets to the energy sector, outlining that our plans would help bring bills down.
— Nick Thomas-Symonds (@NickTorfaen) May 19, 2025
This Labour Government is on the side of working people – taking pragmatic decisions in the national interest, not based on ideology. https://t.co/L1URvx7rPE
Some airports plan to open existing EU eGates to UK travellers, while others will install new ‘third country national’ eGates to accommodate the change.
As it stands, UK passport holders can travel visa-free to any EU country for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
With 27 countries, the EU remains an important market for UK aviation. According to aviation analysts Cirium, there are more than 107,000 UK-EU flights scheduled this month alone. British Airways accounts for 15,192 of these – slightly over 55% of its overall flights this month.
